Multi-group invariance in a third-order factorial model: Attribute satisfaction measurement

The definition and measurement of attribute satisfaction, AS, are important for marketing theory and marketing management. The conceptualization of AS integrates different streams of literature. Attribute satisfaction is a multidimensional and multilevel construct with three primary dimensions: the core of the service, the peripheral aspects of service quality (SQUAL), and value (VAL). Furthermore, SQUAL has three subdimensions and VAL has two. This paper estimates a confirmatory factor analytic third-order model. The model shows that the AS scale demonstrates good psychometric properties for reliability, and content, convergent and predictive validity. The paper also assesses the AS scale invariance: whether the scale has the same structure and meaning for different groups, and whether the scale can be used to study its relation with other constructs and to estimate mean differences in a valid way. In testing gender invariance, specifically, AS exhibits full configural and metric invariance and partial scalar invariance. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.